DeMaio Responds to Fletcher Departure from GOP

Assemblyman and mayoral candidate Nathan Fletcher announced Wednesday morning that he is leaving the Republican Party and running instead as an independent candidate. Gene Cubbison spoke to one of his main opponents, Councilman Carl DeMaio about what this means for voters and political insiders. (Published Wednesday, March 28, 2012)

“We actually did not anticipate that question,” DeMaio answers to questions such as “Did you meet with lobbyists behind closed doors?” and “Why did you try to defund the ethics commission after they fined you?”

In response to the video, DeMaio's campaign manager Ryan Clumpner said the attack recycles labor union accusations, and that Fletcher's criticisms are in contradiction to his promise to solve problems.

Under the web video, Fletcher promised “more to come,” cueing the entry of television ads into what has proven to be a nasty campaign season in personal appearances, debates and on social media.

Attack ads in local elections typically arrive closer to the primary, which is June 5. Fletcher’s early start was likely a way to ride the momentum of his departure from the GOP – a move which garnered national attention, said communications strategist, blogger and former coucil aide Tony Manolatos.

“This is not going to be a friendly fight,” Manolatos said. “The next few weeks are going to get ugly, with more direct shots, as opposed to the snipping on social media and at debates we’ve already seen.”

And Fletcher’s promise of more videos won’t dip far into those newly raised funds either, since many are exclusively web videos and less expensive than TV ads. The strategy fits into the campaign’s overall tactics using social media and the web to reach voters – much in the way the Obama presidential campaign succeeded in 2008, Manolatos said.

"Nationally, nobody has done that quite like Obama. But this is the first time we've seen social media and the web play such a significant role in a San Diego mayor’s race."